Should I Pay the Medical Bills from My Auto Accident?

auto accident

When you get into an auto accident, there is a good chance that you will end up needing medical attention. Whether you were at fault or not, any medical costs still need paid. However, insurance claims take time, so even if you are covered under your own or the other driver’s insurance policy, you won’t likely receive a settlement in time to cover your medical costs. That means that you will need to explore other options for paying your medical bills as they come in. There are a number of options available, depending on whether you have another type of health insurance or coverage.

Heath Insurance

Your health insurance policy may provide coverage for auto accidents. If so, you can use your policy to help pay your medical bills while you wait for your insurance claim to come through. The coverage will likely come through much faster, too. The only potential downside to using your health insurance is that there may be a clause which requires you to pay compensation upon completion of your auto insurance claim.

Medicare or Medicaid

If you have Medicare or Medicaid coverage, you should be able to cover some if not all of your treatment. Speaking to your health provider will help you understand how Medicare or Medicaid can cover the cost of treatments, such as hospital visits and medications. Unfortunately, if you do not have health insurance, Medicare, or Medicaid, you will have to pay the cost of medical bills out of your own pocket

Health Providers

Some health providers will facilitate freezing your account, until the insurance claim is paid out for your auto accident. If it is a case where you have no other means of paying for medical treatment, this type of agreement will ensure that your credit rating is not affected by missing payments.  However, those medical expenses should be paid at the time of settlement, otherwise the health providers may put your account into default.

Keeping Track

Regardless of how you pay your medical bills, it is essential that you record every treatment or medical examination that you undergo as a result of your auto accident. If you decide to pursue a personal injury claim, this information is vital as it will affect how much compensation you receive. Obviously there are certain treatments or expenses which are easily traced, such as hospital stays, X-rays, surgeries, etc. However, you will need to keep receipts for any additional medications or treatments, such as over the counter medication or private therapies.

Hiring a personal injury attorney immediately after an auto accident will greatly increase the likelihood of a large settlement. From the second you speak to an attorney at Edwards & Patterson Law, we begin gathering evidence of your entitlement to compensation. Call us, stop by our offices in Tulsa and McAlester, or contact us on live chat via our website.

“We care. We fight. We win!” That’s more than just a slogan at Edwards & Patterson Law. Those simple words sum up our law firm’s mission and everything we do for our accident and personal injury clients.

“We care. We fight. We win!” That’s more than just a slogan at Edwards & Patterson Law. Those simple words sum up our law firm’s mission and everything we do for our accident and personal injury clients.